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Belle Fourche, South Dakota

Belle Fourche, South Dakota
City
Business District of Belle Fourche
Business District of Belle Fourche
Location in Butte County (top) and South Dakota (bottom)
Location in Butte County (top) and South Dakota (bottom)
Belle Fourche, South Dakota is located in the US
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 44°40′3″N 103°51′1″W / 44.66750°N 103.85028°W / 44.66750; -103.85028Coordinates: 44°40′3″N 103°51′1″W / 44.66750°N 103.85028°W / 44.66750; -103.85028
Country United States
State South Dakota
County Butte
Incorporated 1903
Government
 • Mayor Gloria Landphere
Area
 • Total 8.60 sq mi (22.27 km2)
 • Land 8.53 sq mi (22.09 km2)
 • Water 0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation 3,022 ft (921 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 5,594
 • Estimate (2015) 5,696
 • Density 655.8/sq mi (253.2/km2)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP Code 57717
Area code(s) 605
FIPS code 46-04380
GNIS feature ID 1265119
Website bellefourche.org

Belle Fourche (/bɛlˈfʃ/; bel-FOOSH) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 5,594 at the 2010 census.

The city is near the geographic center of the 50 U.S. states.

Belle Fourche (French for "beautiful fork") was named by French explorers coming from New France, referring to the confluence of what is now known as the Belle Fourche and Redwater Rivers and the Hay Creek. Beaver trappers worked these rivers until the mid-19th century, and Belle Fourche became a well known fur trading rendezvous point. During and after the gold rush of 1876, farmers and ranchers alike settled in the fertile valleys, growing food for the miners and their work animals. At the same time, the open plains for hundred of miles in all directions were being filled by huge herds of Texas and Kansas cattle. Towns sprang up to serve the ever-changing needs of the farmers and ranchers. In 1884, the Marquis de Mores, a French nobleman and contemporary of Theodore Roosevelt, established a stagecoach line between Medora, North Dakota, and Deadwood, South Dakota. The Belle Fourche way station included a stage barn and a saloon.


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